Local man drowns at Anderson

Gilbert Thomas "Tom" Sluder Jr., 26, of Bellevue, a former local high school sports hero, a father and a husband, drowned Saturday after a boating accident near Anderson Ranch Reservoir.

At the time of the accident, Sluder, Travis Nisson, 26, also of Bellevue, and Sluder’s Labrador retriever were upstream of the reservoir in the South Fork of the Boise River in Nisson’s 14-foot aluminum fishing boat.

At about 5:25 p.m., the boat reportedly hit a concrete fish trap that resembles a dam and capsized. Nisson made it to a stump and was quickly rescued by another boater.

Sluder disappeared in the water, according to reports.

People in the area began a search almost immediately. Elmore County Search and Rescue, whose members reportedly commandeered jet boats to get into the area, joined the search.

Four trained rescue divers from the Wood River Valley also joined the search. The divers were at Anderson in a non-official capacity when they heard about the accident.

Sluder’s body was found Monday at 10:25 a.m. in three feet of water. Sluder’s black lab, AJ, was found dead about 30 yards away.

The cause of death was drowning, according to the Elmore County Sheriff’s Office.

Elmore County Sheriff’s deputy Jesse Cobos said the men had life jackets in the boat, but were not wearing them at the time of the accident. State law requires only that life vests be within reach.

Nisson was reportedly hospitalized briefly for hypothermia.

Cobos said boats that size are not usually found in that part of the river. He added that alcohol was not involved.

Sluder is regarded as one of the best athletes to compete for Wood River High School in the past 25 years. He was a two-time district wrestling champion in the 171 pound weight class in 1988 and at 189 pound class in 1989.

As a running back, Sluder led the Wood River High School football team to its first winning season in 14 years in 1989, rushing for a single-season school record of 1,002 yards. In his 18-game football career from 1987 to 1989, he rushed 287 times for 1,712 yards with seven 100-yard games, again, school records.

The Tom Sluder Memorial Fund has been established at the First Security Bank in Hailey for his wife Missi and daughter Jordan.

Call Wood River Chapel at 788-2244 for service time.